Motor-cycle frame.



l. SCHWINN.

MOTOR CYCLE FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1915.

1 1 98,669 Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I. SCHWINN.

MOTOR CYCLE FRAM E. APPLICATION mzn mu, 1915.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED QIGNAZ scnwrnn, or

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOTOR-CYCLE FRAME.

1,198,669, Specification of Lette s Pat t Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Application filed March 24:, 1915. Serial No. 16,716.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IGNAZ Sorrwmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Motor-Cycle Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in motor-cycle frames, and my object is in general to improve the construction and increase the strength of frames of this de scription.

A further object of the invention is to provide as an integral part of the frame of a motor cycle a means for supporting certain portions of the motor and its gearing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully broughtout in the following detailed description of one form of motor cycle frame constructed in accordance with the invention. In this de scription reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the frame of a motorcycle embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designates the head of my motor-cycle, the numeral 11 the seat post cluster. and the numeral 12 the tail cluster. Extending between the seat post cluster and the head are upper and lower bars 13 and 14, respectively, each of which is suitably secured at its ends. The upper bar 13 is preferably curved intermediate its length as at 15 so that the rear portion 16 which is joined to the seat post cluster shall lie in alinement with the rear stays 17, which join the seat post cluster and the tail clusters 12. Extending forwardly from the tail clusters 12 are the rear fork members 18. According to ordinary construction these rear fork members are extended to intersect the seat post mast 19 which extends downwardly from the seat post cluster 11 and at a forward inclination therefrom. and the joint between the rear forks and the seat post mast is then commonly connected to the crank-case 20 of the motor or engine. In this common form of a frame construction, known as the open frame, the front bar 21 of the frame which extends downwardly and rearwardly from the head 10 is also connected to the crank-case 20 so that this member forms in effect a cluster joining the front bar, the seat post mast, and rear forks.

My present invention is particularly concerned with a novel method of connecting the front bar, seat post mast, and rear forks. According to my invention the rear end of the crank-case 20 has secured thereto on its two faces as by the through-bolts 22 a pair of generally rectangular frames designated 23 in the drawings. The frames 23 are spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the crank-case to which they are secured and lie in parallel planes as shown in Fig. 2, and directly opposed to one another. The rear fork members 18 are connected at their front ends to the diverging arms 24 of a joint member designated as a whole by 25. This member, which is preferably formed as a drop forging, is provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined web 26 which lies between the rear ends of the frames 23 and is secured thereto by through-bolts 27. The web 26 forms in of feet therefore, the rear end of the frames 23, which being thus secured and held in proper spaced relation at front and rear provide in themselves a complete sub-frame. The lower end of the seat post mast 19 is secured to the sub-frame formed by the members 23 by a T-head 28 embracing its lower end and secured by a through-bolt 29 as best shown in Fig. 2. By the construction above described the crank-case 20, seat post mast 19 and rear forks 18 are thus rigidly joined by a species of sub-frame formed by the spaced rectangular frame members 23 and their connections to the parts. The purpose of this construction is to provide within the frame itself a means for embracing and securing a transmission casing. I have not shown the casing referred to in.the present drawings, since it forms no part of the invention. my present invention being concerned wholly with the construction of the frame in such a manner as to permit of the mounting of the casing in juxtaposition to the motor and without cutting away. curving or weakening the frame bars. Although I have stated that it is specifically my object to provide a frame capable of supporting a transmission housing in this position, it will be understood that my new frame construction is useful and advantageous per 86 without regard to the attachment of or combination with any additional parts.

front end of the crank-case and are secured thereto as by through-bolts 33 and a top member 34: joining the leg sections at their upper ends. Preferably the leg sections are canted forwardly adjacent their upper ends so that the bar 1% is thrown out of the horizontal plane into a forwardly inclined plane. The front frame bar 21 is secured to the frame 30 by means of a T-head 35- suitably webbed and preferably formed as a drop forging, a through-bolt'36 passing through the T-head serving as a securing The upper face of'the top bar 35tmeans. of the frame 80 1s designed to serve as a magneto base for supportmg a magneto 1n position to be driven by a gearing housedwithin the casing 37 and operable from the engme in a well known manner. As was stated, however, in reference to the frame members 23 at the rear end of the crank-- case, the frame member 30 forms a part of the motor-cycle frame per 86 and is useful and advantageous as such without regard to its adaptability as a base on which the magneto or any other portion of the equipment of the motor-cycle may be mounted. Outstanding brackets 38 may conveniently be riveted, (as shown in Figs. 2 and 3) to the faces of the rectangular frames 23 and of the legs of the fram member 30, such brackets forming a convenient means for mounting steps, et cetera, which are to be secured to the frame.

By my novel method of constructing a motor-cycle frame not only the crank-case but an additional frame member on either side of the crank-case is made to form an integral part of the motor-cycle frame per se. The difficulty hitherto met with in attempting to connect the crank-case of the motorcycle directly to the frame bars is obviated and my additional frames not only effect this connection in an advantageous manner but are of such form as to lend themselves to the mounting of certain essential features of equipment which must be secured in place on the completed motor-cycle.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail a preferred manner of constructing a motor-cycle frame in accordance with my invention, it is to be understood that this showing and description is illustrative only and for the purpose of making my invention more clear, and that I do not regard my invention as limited to these specific forms of construction or to any of them except in so far as I have included such limitations within the terms of the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent 1n my invention as broadly as is possible in view of the prior art.

" lVhat I claim is:

1. In motor-cycle frame construction a removably mounted sub-frame adapted to contain a portion of the transmission mechanism forming a connection between the rear forks and the'crank-case of the engine.

2. In motor-cycle frame construction a removably mounted sub-frame adapted to contain a portion of the transmission mechanism forming a connection between the rear forks, the seat'post mast, and the crank-case of the engine.

3. -In" motor-cycle frame construction a pair of spaced parallel frames connected at their forward ends to the crank-case of the engine and attheir rear ends to the rear forks of the motor-cycle frame.

at. In motor-cycle frame construction a pair of spaced parallel frames connected at their forward ends tothe crank-case of the engine, at their rear ends'to the rear forks of the motor-cycle and on their upper portions to-the seat post mast.

5. In motor-cycle frame construction a rear fork crown having arms for the attachment of the rear fork bars and aweb portion extending at-an angle to the plane of "the rear forks, a pair of spaced parallel frames secured to the edges of the said web at their rear ends and extending forwardly and secured to the crankcase at their forward ends.

6. In-motor-cycle frame construction a frame member forming a connection between the front end of the crank-case and the lower end of the front frame bar and having a saddle portion extending transversely of the motor-cycle frame and on the inside thereof.

7. In motor-cycle frame construction a saddle-like frame member having its legs embracing the edges of the front end of the crank-case and secured thereto and forming a connection between the crank-case and the lower end of the front frame bar.

8. In motor-cycle frame construction and in combination, rear fork members, a removably mounted sub-frame adapted to contain a part of the transmission mechanism secured to the forward ends of the fork members, and a crank-case secured to the forward ends of the sub-frame.

9. In motor-cycle frame construction and in combination, rear fork members, a removably mounted sub-frame adapted to contain a part of the transmission mechanism secured at its rear end to the front ends of the fork members, a seat post mast secured to the said sub-frame, and a crankcase carried by the forward end of the said sub-frame.

box-like sub-frame secured at its rear end therefrom, th saddle portion of the said to the front ends of the said fork members, last named frame extending transversely of a crank-case secured to the front end of the and lying Within the motor-cycle frame.

sub-frame, a saddle-like frame secured to IGNAZ SCHWIN N. the front end of the crank-case, and a front In the presence 0fframe bar secured to the saddle-like frame NELLIE B. DEARBORN,

and extending upwardly and forwardly K. ONEILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. C. 

